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My husband has replied to this thread already but I wanted to share my own thoughts on this topic.

If you want to compete you need to be a member.

For me I have been a kite shop owner, festival organizer, national champion and board of directors member. I let my membership lapse. You can get insurance for events with out the AKA I got insurance for 2 years worth of fitness events for 200.00. KK will sell you affordable event insurance.

We still fly and now build kites. Not to many festivals in our area.. it's a lot of work and not to many people are up to the task. Promoting the sport? Sorry I can't tell someone it's gonna cost you 250.00 for a sport kite, 1000.00 in regional festivals.... oh and then you got to lose a week at work and Grand Nationals are gonna cost you another grand.

I fly as often as I can, I put as many kites in the sky as I can.. I put a yo yo winder or my sport kite handles in anyone's hands that will take it.

Sounds to me John that you should man up and join. Your a somewhat well off retired person like I hope to be. I would gladly join then. Better than the NRA!! This country is in decline and needs help. I guess we do what we can do!!

my last aka membership was for the aka convention in seaside or. in 1992? only time i ever competed nationally , but its good to support the things you love , and if johns in im in , he just loves kiting and doesnt care bout the other crap , just my 2 cents , ray

To be honest, if it wasn't for the talk on this forum, I'd never know the AKA existed.

Denny

Really?This forum is the result of work by AKA members, Steve now Dan before. You fly the kites that were developed by early AKA members. Doing tricks perfected for AKA competitions. The fact that times have changed and we find information and socialize differently than in the past should lead you to discount the influences the AKA had on the kiting world you know or what it may provide in the future. Ron pointed out more discussion here than on the AKA site. I'm very guilty of that I just can't spend that time on several forums. I have facebook account and I read and post here. That enough of a time suck. I know there are many other forums and groups. To label the AKA as all about egos is kind of douchey. The vast majority of members are not into the politics and leadership they don't all compete. They are into kites and wanting to share that. No you don't need to be a member to go out and do that. You can have an extra kite to share and help people having trouble flying. As a kite person more than a kite industry person I support a centralized clearing house for our group. I also support the anarchy of many clubs with no dues and meetings along with those that have big treasuries and do all sorts or work. If you want to not be a member fine but it's about you,not the we that choose to be part of it because we'd love to have you included.

I renewed my AKA membership a while back. I think the magazines are still coming so I guess it is still current.

I re-upped and got my girlfriend to join after taking part in a private conversation with two prominent leaders of AKA. The annual convention was coming to the local beach and I was waffling about paying the money to officially attend the convention. These two leaders told me that people should not be "freeloaders" and should pay for the convention if they plan to be at the same beach.

I was happy to see AKA coming to the local beach. But since I was not competing, since I had very little time off work, and because I would be spending the time as a vacation with the GF, it was hard to justify paying for the convention. In the end, we joined and I paid the money for the convention mostly so my GF and I could go to dinner with all our friends. It was a ton of money with virtually no benefit to me. I regret that decision. The statement by these two leaders that if someone shows up to a public beach where the AKA is being held, and doesn't pay for a convention, he is a freeloader really stuck with me. On the field, I never stepped foot inside the roped off area. I did not participate in a single workshop. Freeloader? I've spent thousands of dollars at kite shops.

On the field, I heard one of these two leaders on the PA system saying fields were reserved for AKA flyers, not "some yahoo off the street". This was announced to the crowd. If I were a spectator, that attitude would have been a total turn off. I'd have thought, you can keep your little organization. Another popular sentiment among organizers was that the convention is for the "best of the best" and the general public should find a different occassion to participate in kiting. Is exclusivity a good thing when it comes to the AKA convention?

I've been part of volunteer organizations. I know it is thankless work. But there has to be little humility.

If JB is running I'll back him. Maybe we can get some changes in place that would help streamline competitions. Maybe a more humble, more open attitude will help grow the organization. Perhaps the AKA forum would become a fun place. Maybe parts of the AKA conventions could be open to yahoos of the street, where it could serve to draw people in rather than leave a nasty taste in their mouths.

I have been a longtime member of the AKA and will continue to do so.My family membership expires in 2015.I support John Baressi in his bid for AKA president.I did however elect not to renu my WKA membership.I just feel WKA isnt right for us and meetings are 2 hours away even though headquarters are only 30 min..

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